The present invention generally relates to an improved apparatus and method for automatically banking an intermittent flow of products and merging those products into a combined, continuous flow of products. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method whereby a plurality of products that are provided in intermittent groupings are diverted onto one of two parallel conveyor paths that is operating at a fill mode speed. After all of the products in the intermittent grouping have been received along this conveyor path, a feed mode thereof is activated to continuously feed the grouping of products to a merging station. At the merging station, the products are directed to a single pathway for subsequent operations, such as packaging. In an important aspect of this invention, the products are a plurality of stacks of sliced foodstuff such as luncheon meat, which stacks are intermittently grouped by virtue of the fact that the groups of stacks are from a series of different sticks or loaves that are individually sliced.
Over the years, food processing operations have become increasingly mechanized and automated in an effort to achieve a packaged food product that has a uniform consistency and that has a clean, damage-free appearance which promotes consumer confidence in the product, while at the same time reducing the labor intensity of such processing operations. One such food product that has received considerable attention in this regard is sliced luncheon meat that is packaged as stacks of meat slices. In order to take advantage of economies of scale in these types of operations, the luncheon meat is prepared in large sausage sticks or loaves, and these large products are then loaded into an automatic slicing apparaus and subsequently packaged in groups of slices. Known automatic slicing machines automatically weigh groups of slices and provide them as a series of meat slice stacks.
Traditionally, a meat processor provides a conveyor belt for receiving these stacks of meat slices, whereupon a worker neatens each stack and transfers each stack of meat slices into a packaging container or onto a packaging fixture for subsequent formation into a completed package of sliced luncheon meat. The operator is to consistently perform these neatening and transferring operations at the speed at which the stacks are conveyed from the automatic slicer which is faster than the outfeed of product. To accommodate this excess product, the operator "blanks" a stack of luncheon meat slices on a shelf provided for that purpose, and the banked stack is subsequently inserted into a packaging container or onto a packaging fixture when possible, usually during the time that it takes to reload the automatic slicer with a fresh stick or loaf.
This operation wherein the stacks of meat slices are banked until they are able to be deposited at a later time is an operation that is labor-intensive because it involves double handling of the product. Also, if the operator does not adequately neaten each and every stack, the finally packaged products can have an inconsistent appearance or the frequency of package rejection can be increased. Additionally, it is not always possible for the operator to deposit a stack of slices onto each and every product fixture as it is conveyed past the station at which the stacks of slices are transferred onto the packaging fixture or container. When this occurs, the line operates at less than full capacity, and many times the unfilled packaging fixture or container will continue to subsequent packaging or sealing stations, resulting in waste of packaging materials.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system that accounts for the intermittent feed characteristics which are associated with packaging operations that have inherent intermittent interruptions, such as are experienced by luncheon meat packaging lines wherein sticks or loaves of product are automatically sliced in a serial fashion. Such is accomplished by the present invention wherein a plurality of products that are provided in intermittent groupings are handled in an apparatus and in a manner whereby the intermittent groupings are transformed into a continuous and evenly spaced flow of products for subsequent handling.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for automatically banking a plurality of intermittently provided products.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for automatically banking products that are provided in staggered groupings by utilizing dual, multiple speed lines and merging those lines into a continuous-flow single line.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for converting the intermittent flow from an automatic food slicer into a continuous flow of product for packaging thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for slicing luncheon meat and for orienting same for insertion into or deposit onto fixtures for packaging the stacks of sliced luncheon meat.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method which incorporates multiple-line timing features to account for planned and unplanned intermittent feed of product to the extent that the product outfeed therefrom is non-intermittent.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method that neatens stacks of sliced foodstuff while a flow of such foodstuff stacks is converted from a flow having intermittent gaps to one that is substantially continuous and uniform.